C155

Six days later, the three Genin found themselves back at the mission hall, staring down at a modest stack of ryo on the counter. The room was as lively as ever—shinobi bustling in and out, mission assignments being handed off with the usual flurry of activity—but for Haruto, Daichi, and Shisui, the energy felt strangely anticlimactic.

Daichi was the first to break the silence, his hand running through his wild hair as if trying to massage away the frustration that had been building for days. He let out a loud, exaggerated sigh, slapping both hands onto the counter in front of them.

"Six days," he muttered, almost to himself. "Six days of walking. Of sitting. Of… nothing."

Haruto, standing next to him, fought the urge to laugh. He knew Daichi had been wound up about the mission from the start, convinced that any moment bandits or rogue ninja would leap out of the woods and provide the glorious battle he'd been waiting for. Haruto glanced over at Shisui, who, predictably, looked as composed as ever. If anything, Shisui had probably enjoyed the quiet.

"It wasn't that bad," Haruto offered, though the small grin on his face said otherwise. "We got to see the countryside, had plenty of fresh air…"

Daichi shot him a glare that could have melted steel. "Fresh air? That's what you're focusing on? Haruto, we didn't fight a single person. Not even a wild animal. We just… walked."

The words were almost painful for Daichi to say, as though the monotony had sapped away his soul. He had been ready—so ready—to showcase his skills. Every step of the journey, he had been on edge, waiting for something, anything to happen. But every day had been the same: clear skies, open roads, and merchants who barely even spoke to them beyond the occasional grunt of acknowledgment.

Shisui, as usual, had found the silence calming, a break from the chaos that often defined their missions. In his typical stoic manner, he now shrugged, adjusting his pack. "Not every mission is about fighting, Daichi. Guarding means keeping things safe—and we did that. There were no threats. No issues."

Daichi groaned, throwing his head back dramatically as if pleading with the ceiling to understand his pain. "But that's the point! There were no threats! What's the point of being a ninja if you don't get to prove yourself?"

Haruto raised an eyebrow, leaning on the counter beside their mission pay, fingers absently playing with the stack of ryo. "I think it's nice when the mission is easy for once. We got paid, didn't we? And no one got hurt. That's a win."

Daichi wasn't having it. He snatched up his share of the pay, pocketing it with the speed of someone trained to throw kunai in the blink of an eye. "Yeah, but we didn't earn it. We just… existed. This is babysitting money. I didn't sign up to be a shinobi for babysitting duty."

"Technically," Haruto began, his tone teasing, "you did sign up for exactly this. Guard duty is part of the job."

Daichi waved him off, pacing back and forth in front of the counter. "But not like this! I was ready for something! At least one bandit! One rogue ninja! Heck, I would've settled for a particularly aggressive squirrel at this point!"

Shisui, ever the calm one, spoke up again. "Maybe the fact that nothing happened means we did our job well. Our presence probably deterred any would-be attackers."

Daichi stopped mid-step and gave Shisui an incredulous look. "Deterred? Deterred! That's just a fancy word for 'boring.' I was ready to show these guys what we're made of, and they didn't even look our way half the time."

Haruto chuckled, unable to resist poking fun at his friend's frustration. "You're really hung up on this, huh? You're not gonna start crying about it, are you?"

"I'm not gonna cry!" Daichi snapped, but the fire in his eyes said otherwise. "I'm just… disappointed! Do you know how long I spent hyping myself up for this mission? I thought we were gonna face some epic fight, maybe even protect the caravan from a whole gang of rogue ninja!"

"Or a squirrel," Haruto added helpfully, grinning.

"Shut up!" Daichi shot back, crossing his arms. "I mean it! All I'm saying is… after the way Sensei built it up, I was expecting more."

At the mention of Sakumo, the trio turned to see their sensei, leaning against the wall a few feet away, arms crossed and looking thoroughly amused. He had been watching the entire exchange, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"You were expecting more, Daichi?" Sakumo's voice carried the usual calm, but there was a hint of humor in it. "Perhaps the lesson here isn't about waiting for a fight, but learning how to find value in every mission, even the uneventful ones."

Daichi groaned again. "Please, Sensei, no philosophy right now. I'm too young to feel this old."

Sakumo chuckled, pushing off the wall and stepping toward them. "Just remember, sometimes uneventful means you did your job better than you think."

Daichi, still sulking, muttered under his breath, "I'm pretty sure the squirrels would disagree."

Haruto and Shisui exchanged glances, both trying not to laugh at their teammate's ongoing misery. At least, Haruto thought with a grin, the next mission couldn't possibly be any more boring than this one.

"Well," Haruto said with a shrug, "look at it this way, Daichi. Next time, I'm sure you'll get your big fight. Maybe even two squirrels."

Daichi glared, but despite himself, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "You're hilarious, Haruto."

And with that, they left the mission hall, ryo in hand, ready for whatever came next—even if it was just more walking.